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Friday, 31 July 2015

"Building Jerusalem" is my first feature-length film soundtrack project.

It tells the story of Jonny Wilkinson & Co. beating Australia in Australia in 2003 allowing England to become the first northern hemisphere team to win the rugby World Cup.

I loved working on this. It's a dramatic story with engaging talking heads. Editor Michael Nollet was great to work with; as were Polar Patrol Publishing; as were producer Victoria and director James at New Black Films.

If you are going to the premiere at the Odeon, Leicester Square on 1st September, I'll be the bloke in the tartan tie...

Tuesday, 21 July 2015

Maybe it's parenthood, and also knowing, from Francoise Gilot's book, how dreadful Picasso was with some people (friends, lovers, the mother of his children; that kind of thing), but this was my favourite picture:

I am working on a co-composition for Aberdeen's Sound Festival along with fellow composers Drew Hammon, John De Simone, Sonia Allori, Colin Broom and Oliver Searle. It's a kind of pass-the-parcel trust exercise. Everyone starts a piece then passes it along. Eventually we all will have had a hand in all six compositions and it will be premiered by Ensemble Thing at Sound on 24th October. The Herald ran a wee piece on it here.... - I am loving the experience so far.

Sunday, 12 July 2015

España, por favor

Spain never disappoints. And neither does Laura. All those years after the release of Not The Tremblin' Kind, a certain heady feeling returned, watching NY's 'Princesa Del Country' break new ground and win new corazones. Great to play stuff from the recent albums alongside "The Whiskey Makes You Sweeter", "Two Seconds" and "Queen Of The Coast". Sure felt like old times.

On Tuesday we caught up over a meal near Puerto Del Sol.

On Wednesday we picked up guitar hero Lyle Brewer and bass hero Jordan Caress (LC's fellow Americans also visiting Spain for the first time) and drove up to Bilbao for a lovely show.

Turns out Lyle can invoke the spirits of Scotty Moore, Chet Atkins and Merle Travis, while Jordan can play bass, sing harmony and cue changes for rusty drummers mid set like a demon.

On Thursday I accompanied Laura to RTVE's Radio 3 in Madrid for Como Lo Oyes; lovely chat and session with music nut Santiago Alcanda. Hear it here.

Then we had some free time in Madrid. I think I last visited The Prado was with Michael Shelley on a Cheeky Monkey tour of Spain (!) many years ago. This time around there was a temporary Picasso exhibition.

Goya's black paintings were also a highlight.

Friday we drove to Riaza for soundcheck in a football park for the Huercasa festival. Then we went into the old town centre. 40 degrees in the afternoon. Deserted play parks. Houses with the shutters pulled down. No one on the streets. I was waiting for a doleful Mission bell to sound. Clint Eastwood could have popped up on a roof waiting for the baddies to attack. But he never.

Cafe Con Leche at La Fonda and then back to the gig with The Old 97s opening for Lady Cantrell. Great audience. Great fun. Queues for Laura to sign merch...It wasn't hard to feel the love.

Monday, 6 July 2015

As I type I am about to head off to Spain (best country in the world?) for two shows with Laura Cantrrell.

I well remember, many moons ago, producer Jay Sherman-Godfrey passing through Glasgow and giving me a CDR with four songs: Two Seconds, Not The Tremblin Kind,Churches Off The Interstate and Queen Of The Coast (!!)- and telling me to be sure and give it a couple of listens.

Well, I proceeded to mutate into the raving Laura Cantrell fan that I have been ever since; leaving enthusiastic messages on her NY answering machine in my unapologetic Glaswegian brogue telling her to push on and finish an album that I would release. Laura indulged me.

The resultant debut "Not The Trembling Kind" was a thing of wonder. Laura's take on Amy Allison's "The Whiskey Makes You Sweeter" being just one of many highlights.

Getting Laura over for shows from early 2000 onwards and helping to build up awareness sure was exciting.

Think of all the music that the late great, highly esteemed broadcaster John Peel must have consumed and had pushed on him in his time. And yet he sent me this postcard in anticipation of what ended up being Laura's second album "When The Roses Bloom Again":

"This is the 14th copy of this (Laura Cantrell) LP I've bought. 12 have gone to friends, 1 is in my car, this is a spare. When are we going to get some new stuff? John"